Categories

Meta

Month: June 2017

I’m back! I’ve had some good luck with Stitch Fix this year so far but can’t afford monthly deliveries, so instead, I’ve been doing every other month. My first this year was February, then April and now June. . .and I’m afraid my luck has run out.

I didn’t even take pictures in everything because well, nothing fit quite right. I asked for casual summer pieces – as always, I am great need for bottoms, which are always tough for me to find just the right size. So far, SF has sent me some great ones so I was hopeful this time for some cute shorts. I’ve seen some posted on their Pinterest that were really cute but wasn’t thrilled with the one pair they sent me. Here is the lot of it:

I posted the pictures in order on the receipt so rather than typing everything out, let me just give you my overall thoughts.

The Report Footwear sandals – super cute and love the color but incredibly uncomfortable. I have very narrow, thin feet and the top strap was still too tight for me to barely get my toes in. Once they were buckled, they were even worse with the straps cutting into my ankles. Uh, no.

The Skies are Blue Marasolay Eyelette Lace Detail Knit Top – this was the only one that remotely fit me, as you can see in the picture below. Sorry for the weird filters, I have a light out in my bedroom so it was pretty dark in there. The top is pretty enough and fit me on top but seems a little long and the pattern wasn’t my taste. It’s a very comfy cotton though and I do like the colors so rather than lose my $20 styling fee, I did buy this item.

The Renee C Alecto Halter Top – I did like the colors and the pattern but it was WAY too big. The arm holes were too long and the shirt was just too wide. Very unflattering.

The Kut from the Kloth Siena Cropped Pants – for those who didn’t see my Fix #10, I JUST bought some hot pink ankle jeans to go with a really pretty mint green tank they sent me. Why in the world would my stylist think I needed another pair of hot pink pants? She said in her styling note that it was such a good price and $58 is very fair but not unless they were in another color.

Finally, the Dear John Finnegan Roll Cuff Chino Shorts – I like the Dear John brand and have a pair of super comfy jean shorts I got in another Fix I wear all the time but these were very uncomfortable. I may have gained a pound or 2 the past few months but the rear and waist were both too tight and I wasn’t wild about the cuff at the bottom.

So, that’s June. I don’t have another Fix scheduled now until September 1st and we will see I stick with that date. I’ve found some steals at other stores lately and kind of stocked up on summer clothes so probably will be looking to fall by then. I picked up this adorable American Eagle romper for only $19.99 on sale, a store I would NEVER normally shop in but went with a friend who likes their clothes. So glad I did!

I also got some super comfy Ana shorts at JC Penney for 40% off so picked up a pair in black and white. I swear, I think I could wear these white shorts with half my summer shirts. I should have bought 2!

Finally, a few months ago, I got some cute clothes from Nasty Gal – has anyone watched Girlboss on Netflix? Well, talk about HUGE fail – the clothing store declared bankrupsy right after the show about it’s creator came out so dumb me, I loved it so much, I got on their website and ordered some clothes before I realized this LA company had been sold to a company in the UK. Almost a month later, I finally get my dresses but I tell you, they are super cute and really a great price at only $40 each.

I adore this dress for summer – it’s super lightweight so I had to get a little slip to wear under it but nothing tight or bind about it and I love the flower pattern.

I love this dress too and it fits like a glove but I bought it to wear to a May wedding and due to the shipping delay, it arrived too late. It’s very pretty, very formal looking on so not sure when I will have the chance to wear it. Hoping another friend will get married (or re-married! LOL) so I can bust it out.

OK, I suppose that’s enough fashion talk for today! We will see what SF comes up with in September!

“Don’t worry so much about tomorrow that you miss the beauty and joy of today.”

I’m a born worrier, it’s built into my DNA and something I’ve fought my entire life. I have very vivid memories as a child of worrying about all kinds of things – ghosts would get me (but they can’t see you if the pull the covers up to your neck), that the house would burn down, that my body would forget how to breathe (how does it know to just keep doing that???) and as I grew up and became an adult, I wasn’t much better. I was (loosely) diagnosed with an ulcer at age 18 and in and out of doctors for years with stomach issues that most attributed to a nervous personality. I paced the floor more times than I can count with a pounding heart, terrified by . . .I’m not sure what exactly. I have an extreme phobia that I rarely talk about but it kept me paralyzed me almost to the point of being curled up in a ball on the floor. I’m also a planner and I think worrying and planning go hand in hand – a worrier feels like if they can control more, anticipate more, stay organized and in control over every moment of their life, it’s all going to be OK. I thought not just days but weeks, MONTHS in advance, planning every moment of every day but spent a lot of time being not just disappointed but devastated when something went wrong.

That all changed in 2004. The rock in my world, my biggest cheerleader and biggest critic, my grandma died. She never indulged my anxiety – she loved me, gave me a safe place but when I started to go off the deep end, she was the one telling me to stop, take a deep breath and really, really think – you are getting worried and upset and SICK about something that may never happen! I never really understood what that meant until she died but I decided to live my life with more calm, more joy and less worry about what may never come.

So, I started therapy, I quit my job, I got off the fast track, I took 6 weeks off work and went back as an Accounting clerk, 3 good pegs down from my previous job. I worked my way back up to my current company but I decided to structure my life totally different. Less worry, less stress, more fun, more joy, more wonder, more new experiences, more time with friends. I got tattoos, I para-sailed, I pushed myself to try things I never would have before. Is my life perfect? Far from it and I still love to plan a good event, I love to research trips and travel, cars to buy, restaurants to try but I don’t freak out if plans go awry and we need to come up with a new one.

Another big lesson I embraced was to learn how to politely and tactfully say no. No to doing things that I didn’t really want to do but feared I would let someone down, no to things that I felt pressured to do by someone else but didn’t interest me or I just downright didn’t like. Women have SUCH a tough time saying no to anyone but the big secret is, you are a happier person for your friends and family when you give yourself a break, allow yourself the freedom to choose the things that bring satisfaction to your life and let go of the things that bring you stress and sadness. Trust me – your friends, at least the good ones, will understand and love you anyway.

Finally, having a police officer as a husband will do that to you too – he joined the force in 2008 and admittedly, the transition was a tough one for me, even then but I know for a fact, if he had become an officer in our 20s or even early 30s, I probably wouldn’t have been able to handle it. . .it would have put a tremendous strain on our marriage and my well-being. But now? I’m proud of him in a way I never imagined but you have to get over the disappointment of cancelled plans, late nights, missed events and being alone pretty damn fast. It still isn’t easy some days but whenever I feel the panic rising, I remember to stop, take that deep breath and remember to live in the moment, enjoy the beauty of the day and not waste time and energy worrying about tomorrow.